The Only Exception
by Anonymonimus
Summary: "I like women. I guess what I'm trying to say is...I'm not gay. I'm not even bi! I've never been interested in a man before and I've never even considered it. But, for some reason, Cas, when I look at you I...I...well, I honestly don't know. I don't think this makes me gay, bi or whatever, I think it just makes you an exception." PROMPT FILL - Destiel fic


**Wrote this for a prompt fill...sorta**

**Anyways, I like cats.**

**Also, Dean might be a bit OOC but I'm still trying to get the hang of him and I don't think it's that bad ;P**

**So now, ENJOY!**

* * *

It began with the little things that could easily be dismissed. Dean merely noticed that Castiel's eyes were beautiful and that his smile was bright and warm. One could easily argue that it was not Castiel he was admiring but rather his vessel, Jimmy. However, Dean could see the difference. When Castiel was in control, his eyes were paler and they almost seemed to twinkle like diamonds under a bright light. When Castiel was in control, the smile he rarely ever displayed was as precious as a gem and so brief but the effects of such warmth and love were never forgotten. Nonetheless, the latter remarks were only concluded much later when Dean began to notice his heart skipped a beat when the angel touched him intimately. When Castiel would put his hand on his shoulder to comfort him or hug him in happiness he had acquired as a human, Dean felt something he didn't normally feel. At least, he never felt it for a man before.

Nevertheless, it had still taken another year or so for Dean to realize that, somewhere along the way, he had fallen for Castiel. Initially, he was terrified and disgusted with himself. He was a man's man, he enjoyed women and their many pleasures. There was absolutely no way he could be gay! Though, as he contemplated the matter, he supposed he could possibly be bi. But the more he assessed the idea, the more he realized it was rubbish. He never felt anything sexual or romantic for another man before, it was just Castiel. Castiel and his twinkling eyes and precious smile.

"You _like_ Castiel?" Sam repeated rather loudly in surprise.

"Geez Sam, why don't you say it again?" Dean said sarcastically, "I don't think China heard you."

"Wow." Sam sighed, "I really never saw that coming."

"Right?" Dean agreed.

"I guess the signs were there though," Sam mused, "I just never really interpreted them that way."

"Yeah- wait!" Dean flinched at the insinuation, "What!?"

"Well, the way you two look at each other." Sam said, "And the way you just stop talking randomly and gaze at each other. Your eyes also trail after him when he walks away and you seem to get sad when he just teleports."

Dean couldn't help the blush of embarrassment spreading on his cheeks, "I don't _gaze_ at him…" He mumbled in protest.

"You do," Sam smirked, "What surprises me most is that you don't just want to bang him and be done with it."

"How do you know?" Dean stated, flustered, "I never said anything about that!"

"Well..." Sam said slowly, "Do you?"

"...No." Dean answered quietly after a moment. The embarrassment soon got too much for him and he rapidly changed the subject loudly, "Why aren't you freaking out, Sam!? Your big brother could be gay!"

"I don't know," Sam shrugged, "It's not that big of a deal, I guess. A lot of people are coming out of the closet these days."

"But it's different this time!" Dean stated, "It's me!"

"Dean," Sam said calmly, "The fact that you may be gay doesn't change who you are. You're still my big brother, you're still the toughest guy I know and the best hunter in America. Whether you like women or men won't change that I love you, man."

"Oh god, you went all chick-flicky." Dean groaned, hiding his face in his hands. "Don't say such cheesy things, dude!"

"I'm sorry but it's true." Sam chuckled, "So what are you going to do about this?"

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

"Are you going to tell Cas?" Sam specified.

"I don't know..." Dean mumbled, "That's why I came to you. I don't know what to do. Hell, I don't even know if the robot likes me back!"

"Don't call Cas a robot," Sam schooled, "But I do admit it'll be tricky to get him to say anything that isn't misleading about his feelings for you."

"Exactly, so what do I do?" Dean insisted.

Sam thought for a moment. A part of him was surprised yet glad that Dean trusted him to the point of conveying such intimate information. He knew accepting that he was in love with a man was a tough thing for him since he had never thought himself the type and that made the confession all the more precious. However, Sam was at a loss since he had absolutely no idea on how to help Dean with his problem. If Castiel was any other girl or guy, he would have said to take him on a date. The main problem was that Castiel was emotionally handicapped and so even if he were to be taken on a date, having him understand the significance of it and have him not confuse it with a friendly outing would be excessively complicated.

"Gee, this is a tough one." Sam sighed.

"I know..." Dean groaned and fell back onto his motel bed.

"Well, let's start with this then..." Sam said, approaching the problem from a different angle, "Do you want to tell him?"

"Me...?" Dean mumbled confusedly, "I don't know..."

"You have to choose, Dean." Sam stated, "It's good that you like him and all but you need to decide whether you want him to know. If you don't, then the matter stops there and we pretend this never happened."

"I can't pretend this never happened!" Dean snapped, "This...this is so messed up! I mean I... I just can't leave it at this."

"Then tell him." Sam concluded.

"But I don't know if I can handle a relationship." Dean said, "And if he rejects me then it might ruin our friendship..."

"If you really mean that much to each other on a non-romantic level," Sam said with a reassuring smile, "I don't think that'll happen. Just try it Dean. You're a risk taker, aren't you? This is just one of those moments."

"Okay..." Dean said slowly, "But how would I tell him?"

"The same way you tell girls you find them hot." Sam answered.

"I can't flirt with him!" Dean objected quickly.

"Why not?" Sam asked.

"B-because it's Cas!" Dean stated, "I just can't! Besides, he probably wouldn't understand it...he'd get all confused."

"Yeah, I can see that." Sam mumbled. "Why don't you just tell him, then?"

"Because you don't just do that!" Dean said with a sigh, "That's literally the biggest dick move ever! Especially if the person has no warning!"

"Then try taking Cas out on a date." Sam suggested, "Do the typical date-things so he has signs as to what's happening and doesn't mistake it for anything else. Then, if all goes well in the end, you tell him."

"But I..." Dean tried, his voice trailing off.

"Don't try to come up with any excuses, Dean!" Sam said, "Just go with the flow of things and you'll be fine."

The conversation reluctantly ended there. The brothers quickly discussed the aftermath of the case they had solved in the town and were planning their departure when Castiel joined them. As in almost every case they had tackled the past few months, the angel had assisted them brilliantly and most happenings couldn't have been solved without him. They told him of their plans and once the business end of their partnership was out of the way, Sam subtly coaxed Dean into asking Castiel out on a date. Though he did succeed, Dean's intentions weren't particularly clear but Sam assumed he would find a way to make Castiel understand somewhere along the way.

* * *

The night was young and the town was surprisingly lively. Situated just next to the middle of nowhere Dean assumed everything would be quiet but they had arrived with a relatively famous weeklong festival. Colourful and bright stalls occupied most of the sidewalks, selling candy and flashy trinkets to passersby who walked stark in the middle of the road which had been blocked from vehicle usage. The sight in general was lively, almost pulled out perfectly from a movie and though the place was flooded with people, Dean and Castiel stuck out like soar thumbs. Perhaps it was the way they were dressed or the way neither mimicked the ongoing gaieties, Dean feeling too nervous whereas Castiel failed to understand it.

"What are we doing here, Dean?" He asked, it was almost as though he was annoyed.

"We're..." Dean paused for a minute, struggling to formulate his sentence properly, "We're exploring...I guess."

"Why?" Castiel continued.

"For fun." Dean said.

"But there's no point to it." Castiel stated, "Shouldn't we be concentrating on-"

"Sometimes it's good to have fun." Dean stated, "You should remember how exhausting it was to work all day and just want to relax for a bit. This is one of those moments and there's no better way than to do it with someone you _love_."

Dean held his breath, staring intently at Castiel as he wondered if he would understand exactly what he meant.

"I see." Castiel concluded, "I'll go get Sam."

"No!" Dean stopped before the angel could teleport away.

"Why not?" Castiel asked, tilting his head to the side just a tad. Dean thought it was an adorable habit, especially because it only happened when Castiel was confused.

"Because I need a break from him too sometimes." Dean said quickly, "He's part of my work and we already spend so much time together..."

"Then I should go too." Castiel concluded.

"No!" Dean stopped again.

"It's alright Dean," Castiel reassured, "I understand, I remember how it felt, I'm not angry with you."

"I don't need a break from you." Dean said, though a part of him currently disagreed.

"Aren't I part of your work like Sam?" Castiel asked.

"Yes but it's different." Dean said and then sighed in exasperation.

"How?" Castiel asked.

"You're not Sam." Dean said and quickly changed the subject, "Now let's look around for something to do."

Castiel seemed like he wanted to question Dean's judgement a tad more but he thankfully dropped the matter and began following Dean quietly. Dean felt hopelessly awkward. He hadn't brought many girls on dates before because his time with them never lasted particularly long and so he was a bit rusty. He looked around nervously, looking for something - anything - that could entertain he and Castiel for a while and provoke an opportunity to spill his feelings.

Eventually, they came upon a stall which allowed customer to play games in order to win prizes rather than just selling the same thing the neighbouring stalls had in stock. It was a shooting game. The goal was to splash as much water as possible in the clown's mouth in order to fill the balloon it was linked to and have it burst before any other challenger.

"Let's do that!" Dean suggested with a grin.

Castiel looked at the participants; they were all kids. "Don't you think it's a bit unfair?" he asked, "They're all children and you're a grown man who's been trained in firearm combat your entire life."

"Don't be like that, Cas!" Dean whined, "Just play against me instead."

"I'm not particularly good with guns." He stated.

"So?" Dean smirked, "It's just for fun. Come on."

Thus was all the bating necessary to convince Castiel to play. Nonetheless, the angel's predictions had been accurate and seconds later, Dean emerged from the game victorious. He cheered and flaunted his triumph in Castiel's face though was barely met with any response. The man directing the game then gestured Dean towards the few prizes he could claim most of which were plushies.

"Hmm…" he hummed pensively then turned to Castiel, "What do you want?"

"That hardly matters," Castiel stated, cocking his head slightly as he always did when confused, "You were the one who won."

"Think of it as a consolation prize." Dean grinned.

Castiel turned his gaze to the many pushed animals hanging from hooks on the display wall. After a short moment, he gestured a small black and white cat near the bottom of the wall. "That one." He said.

Dean was mildly surprised he had chosen such a small thing when he could have chosen the far bigger stuffed animals but quickly reminded himself Castiel was of a simple nature. "Well," he said to the clerk, "You heard him."

The man snatched it from its hook and dropped it in Dean's hands with a thank you. Dean then gave it to Castiel as they walked away. "So you like cats?" he said and mentally smacked himself for the poor conversation starter.

"They're misunderstood." Castiel said, examining the prize Dean had gotten him, "For some reason mankind has assumed that they are obnoxious creatures that merely take advantage of their kindness for their own benefits. In contrast, they believe dogs are better because their joy is more perceptible. However cats are reserved creatures that show their gratitude through the smallest of actions. A gentle nudge or a quiet purr shows more than meets the eye."

A part of Dean felt as though Castiel was insinuating something more than what was directly being said. He sounded almost like he was speaking from personal experience rather than from observation. It was then he decided he would tell Castiel about his feelings. A feeling in his gut was telling him it was the right time and, at that point, all he could do was have faith.

"Cas." He said stiffly, halting.

"Yes, Dean?" Castiel said, stopping as well.

"I need to tell you something." Dean could feel the blush rushing to his face and the embarrassment bubbling inside him.

"Yes…?" Castiel said after a long moment of silence.

"I…" Dean stuttered, struggling to force out the words, "I…I like women."

"I assumed as much." Castiel nodded, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I don't like men." Dean finally said and then mentally slapped himself for having poorly worded what he actually meant.

"It's alright Dean, I understand—" Castiel said though was quickly interrupted by Dean who seemed to be gradually becoming more flustered and frustrated.

"No, Cas! You don't just-" he paused to sigh angrily and collect his thoughts, "Just listen for a minute..." he paused again, contemplating how he would go about his declaration, "I like women. I love their bodies, their curves and the delicate features of their faces. Women are just so beautiful and erotic and...I guess what I'm trying to say is...I'm not gay. I'm not even bi! I've never been interested in a man before and I've never even considered it. But, for some reason, Cas, when I look at you I...I...well, I honestly don't know. I don't think this makes me gay, bi or whatever, I think it just makes you an exception."

Castiel's eyes widened and he blinked in surprise a few times as his cheeks began to flush pink. "What...what are you trying to say, Dean?" He asked, his voice very quiet yet stirred by emotion.

Dean blushed all the more, forcing himself to keep looking at Castiel rather than away like he wanted to. "I..." he took in a deep breathe, "I really, _really_ like you..."

In an instant Castiel's face was consumed by a glowing red blush, putting Dean's to shame. He tensed horribly and barely seemed to breathe as though petrified by the confession.

"Cas...?" Dean asked after a while. "Are you...are you okay...?"

Castiel nodded sightly and quietly.

"Am I...making you uncomfortable or something?" Dean asked and after receiving no answer from the angel his heart sank and he felt embarrassment and shame. "I'm sorry. I just..." he interrupted himself with a pitiful laugh, "I don't know. Just... Forget I said anything, okay?"

And just as Dean turned to leave, Castiel grabbed his arm to stop him. "W-wait!" He stuttered shyly. "I..."

Dean stared at him quietly for a long while, expecting him to finish his sentence at some point. "You what?" He encouraged.

Castiel flinched almost as though he had been reminded of his incomplete sentence. He tilted his gaze to the ground, his blush reaching his ears, "I...also have feelings for you..." he finally mumbled, "Feelings that exceed typical friendship...and..." he looked up at Dean and smiled, his blue eyes twinkling beautifully like stars, "And it makes me happy to know you feel the same way."

Dean couldn't resist the grin that spread across his face or the proud laugh that escaped his lips. He was so relieved, so happy, and though he wasn't one for serious relationships or anything of the like, he would definitely try for Castiel. He opened his mouth to speak, to say something, anything, but found no words came out. Dean wasn't exactly sure why but then again, what was he supposed to reply? So he settled on something else. He pressed his lips against Castiel's, marking their first of hopefully many kisses. It was sweet, simple and brief and unlike most of the other ones he had had, it wasn't trashy or sloppy.

_This could work…_ he thought as he pulled away.

"What do you say we make the best of what's left of the night?" Dean suggested.

Castiel nodded and took his hand. They then disappeared into the crowd in which they finally blended and shared in the gaieties of the mass.


End file.
